|
|
|
|
|
WHO WE ARE BRIEFING
ROOM MEMORIAL |
News Letters
THIS IS A CITIZEN ALERT ADVISORY AND A CALL TO ACTION
YOUR SAFETY MIGHT BE AT RISK!
· No matter what the Fort Lauderdale City Officials say to the press or in homeowner and civic associations meetings……
· No matter how they incorrectly describe or posture their current negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police……
· No matter what smoke and mirror raises they say they are offering the police……
· No matter how they try to justify it as a money issue and ignore the fact that it is a regional competitive issue…..
· No matter what city officials might say about safety in our streets being ok…..
· No matter how long they continue to ignore the harsh realities…..
The disturbing and alarming fact still and will continue to remain:
EXPERIENCED POLICE OFFICERS WILL CONTINUE TO LEAVE FORT LAUDERDALE IN ALARMING NUMBERS UNTIL CITY OFFICIALS RECOGNIZE THE REAL PROBLEM
THEY ARE NO LONGER COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKETPLACE FOR EXPERIENCED POLICE OFFICERS
How does this affect you?
Less police patrolling our city streets means:
· The officer response time to your calls for help and police services increases · Help might not be there in time when you need it most · You and your family’s safety are put unnecessary at risk. · Your businesses could be adversely affected · Calls for help to understaffed patrol units puts both you and the police officer responding in danger. Recent tragic events show that policing in our area is becoming an increasingly dangerous business….and yet the police are still there for you and your families facing the danger. Do they deserve more consideration? Do you?
THIS MADNESS MUST STOP
Sure City Officials might tell you and the press that “the police are being greedy” and “when is it enough”, and that “they are being fiscally responsible.”
We ask you. Is approving nearly a 4 million dollar expenditure on unnecessary cameras for outdated police cars that WILL NOT STOP OR DETER CRIME, considered fiscally responsible? And where is the nearly $50 67million dollar city reserve going to? Certainly not to keeping or attracting experienced police officers to protect you and your businesses.
The answer is obvious. The City’s treatment of current negotiations with the police for competitive benefits and wages is an egregious case of misplaced priorities and an ignorance of realities and the TRUE facts.
Your safety and the safety of police officers is simply not their priority no matter how they spin it to the press. They refuse to face the real truth. AND IT WILL NOT GET ANY BETTER UNTIL THEY DO!
Should you be afraid?
Then again, maybe they just don’t care.
February 29, 2008 Concerned Citizens, Several months ago I
sent you a letter detailing the harsh reality that officers were leaving
the Ft. Lauderdale Police Department at an alarming rate. For many of
you who voiced your concerns to city hall, a letter which was signed by
the city manager, stated that the information I provided was incorrect.
This denial by city manager Gretsas has been the underlying reason that
after 12 months of negotiations the city has yet to propose a contract
that would help retain these officers. The truth is that from January
2004 through December 2007 (4 years), the city has hired 208 officers.
Of the 208 officers that were
hired 82 have already left. I realize that taxes
being paid by you are and should be a major concern. It costs
approximately $300,000 for each officer that you have to replace (this
includes pay, pension, health insurance, academy and recruiting costs as
well as the overtime needed while the new officer is in training). So
you have to ask yourself if it is prudent to spend an average of
$6,140,000 per year, (that’s right over 6 million dollars) instead of
proposing a contract of a significantly lower cost, that would address
the retention issue. More alarming than the waste of your tax dollars is
the fact that the city has had to hire over 200 officers in the past 4
years. With your safety as our number one mission I find it hard to
believe that citizens would accept the fact that over half of the
officers who are assigned to the patrol division have less than 5 years
experience. This is not only unsafe for you, but unsafe for the members
I represent. Here is small
example of how our manpower crises have affected you: Our marine unit
which is responsible for patrolling all of our waterways has been
reduced from 14 officers down to 7 When there were
previously 14 officers assigned to our north district (not including the
executive airport) we now have
had as few as 6, with three of those officers on overtime. Our community policing unit has been shut
down. I no longer have
confidence in the city manager’s ability to manage this city. I say this
because I am certain that if the elected officials were advised by the
city manager that this information was the truth, there would be no way
that they would allow the safety of the citizens to be at risk and the
waste of your tax dollars to continue. The City’s reserve fund has grown
from $800,000 to $67,000,000. The city manager will respond to you and
attempt to again discredit these alarming facts, but these facts were
obtained from the police department and this information is available to
anyone who requests it. This city needs to stop running like a public
relations firm, masking the truth and spinning the numbers and make
public safety a priority. Please visit our web
site at www.fop31.org and go to the “news and info section” to find out
where the City has chosen to spend you tax dollars. If any of my
concerns alarm you please contact City hall, or feel free to contact me
at ftlauf@fop31.org. Thank you in
advance. Sincerely, Jack Lokeinsky,
President 954-527-2606
| |||
